The Most Influential Designers of the Century

Paul Poiret (1879 1944) is best knget for liberating women from corsets. Lac office certain expert dressmaking skills Poiret made draping the focal point of his designs. He was interested in simple shapes that freed the body and being inspired by Fauvism, Japanese culture and the B totallyet Russes mostly enjoymentd exotic colours. He was the king of Oriental Era in 1910s and a natural businessman. He expanded limits of what room meant at the time and brought some serious innovations to the industry. Kimono coat, hobble skirt, lampshade tunics, seraglio pantaloons atomic number 18 all signature outfits of Paul Poiret.Along with other designers like Mariano Fortuny, Paul Poiret helped to establish what we now call a Classical style and of course, he is wholeness of those designers who define Exoticism. While researching this revolutionary designer I came up with idea of triplet types of women he intentional for 1) Goddess-like woman in rich colored, empire waisted, beautifull y draped dress 2) Exotic, seductive, slave-like woman in turban and harem pantaloons/hobble skirt. 3) Rich, extravagant Eastern/Japanese woman in fur, velvet, etc. lush fabrics.Gabrielle coconut meat Chanel (1883 1971) is rightfully called a queen of 20s. She was (and still is) one of the most influential designers of all time. The style that Chanel promoted is considered classic like a shot, not to source timeless wardrobe essentials as little black dress or Chanel suit. Channel started off by shortening hemlines so that women who now had to work in factories (post WWI) would feel more comfortable. use unconventional fabrics (at the time) like jersey and tweed she adapted menswear to women needs and actually transformed what a modern woman means.Her woman was independent and strong. She lowered the waistline to upper hips level thus creating an androgynous/boyish silhouette La Garconne. Combining elegance and practicality she used simple materials to create accessories for th e first time in history daring to commixture pearls with glass beads and inventing poor chic. On the contrary to Poiret, Coco Chanel was an experienced seamstress and paid great management to details. Later in her career, she eat upped using sewing machines and started making every garment by hand.She was in addition known for her signature embroidery which was carried out by Russian augury Kitmir exclusively for her. For me, Chanel stands for timeless elegance. She is inspirational image of independence and innovation. Nowadays, Karl Lagerfeld is a head of design in house of Chanel. Here are my three favorite looks this season (from pret-a-porter A/W 2012) Madeleine Vionnet (1876 1975) was the first designer to adapt her haute couture designs to high street and by doing so she transformed commercial look industry. Vionnet unite modern business practices with innovation in dressmaking.She is also praised for taking garment construction to the highest level adopting and perfe cting the bias-cut (many people say she invented the bias cut but in her biography Vionnet clearly states that is not true), making dresses with one seam and showing off outstanding cutting skills in each garment. Vionnet promoted style which I would decipher as Grecian aesthetics minimized and polished to form clean, sleek, ageless idea of beauty. In 1925 British Vogue, articulating Vionnets appeal, declared her perhaps the superior geometrician among all French couturiers.Her ideas survived and are continued with great success in the house of Vionnet. http//vionnet. com Here are some of my favorite looks this season Elsa Schiaparelli (18901973), Italian designer and the greatest rival of Chanel was a very influential figure in 30s fashion. Fascinated by Surrealism, she formed one of the most iconic partnerships between Art and expression while working with world-renowned artist Salvador Dali. (I must mention though, that she collaborated with many other artists of the time).Unf ortunately, she didnt adapt to changes after WWII and her business had to close in 1954. Today, her garments are kept in museums and she is praised as a genius, messiah of ultramodern couture. Few of her creations are particularly famous Tear (1), Lobster (2) and Skeleton (3) dresses and Shoe hat (4). Claire McCardell (1905-1958) is regarded as the inventor of the American hold off. With the rationing of silk and wool during WWII, she employed corduroy, seersucker, denim and cotton fabrics to create sensational designs. She said, that All of us, any of us, deserves the right to a good fashion.Her monk and Popover dresses were massive hits, not to mention cloth ballet slippers which survived until today. She was the originator of mix-and-match separates, spaghetti straps, pedal-pushers, bareback summer dresses, strapless swimsuits, and feminine denim fashion. Immediately after WWII, Christian Dior (195 1957) jumped into a fashion arena. He launched his New Look in 1947 and it was a n immediate success. After years of rationing Dior cut himself loose and designed dresses with full skirts (making of these required up to 50 yards of fabric), waspie waists and slender shoulder line.He brought back femininity and hope for a better life. Although many people in Europe were shocked with such forceful changes, Americans gladly accepted the smart breeze and much of Diors income in the first years came from export to USA. Unfortunately, genius died 10 years later leaving materialisation master Yves Saint Laurent as an artistic director of his house. Today Dior house is one of the strongest leaders in fashion industry and one of my personal favorites as well. Here are my three favorite looks from A/W 2012 haute couture collectionYves Saint Laurent (1936 2008) was hailed as the man who (at the age of 22) saved the house of Dior, a nance of French fashion and a first couturier to present ready-to-wear collections. I think that the most important time began when he ope ned his own house in 1962. He was a genius and cared about empowering women, also (much like Schiaparelli) he aimed to shock. Therefore a trouser suit Le ingest was born. It was a trend setting evening trouser suit and it became Yves Saint Laurents trademark, also a must-have in modern womens wardrobe.We have to be grateful to him for blazers, downright blouses and a business wardrobe for women. He was one of the main figures in 60s and 70s taking the best out of pop culture and translating it to fashion (Andy Warhol inspired dresses). He was also a great lover of art so he designed a collection of dresses inspired by his favorite painter Piet Mondrian. Mondrian Look (especially one particular dress) is as famous as New Look or Elsa Schiaparellis Tear dress. Yves Saint Laurent house continues to make androgynous women designs under leadership of newly appointed creative director Hedi Slimane.Here are my favorite looks from Spring/Summer 2013 ready-to-wear collection Hubert de G ivenchy (1927 today) is best known for his elegant, refined style, and for his hotity with celebrities like Audrey Hepburn (Audrey Hepburn became a symbol of house of Givenchy, she popularized him in movies like Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffanys, My fair lady, etc. ) , Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly and many others. Givenchy introduced a new concept of mix and match separates (unthinkable in 1950s). His signature garments were little black dress and Bettina blouse.Creating elegance for 40 years straight, Givenchy house continues to astonish the world today with a new leader Riccardo Tisci. Here are my favorite looks from A/W 2012 Givenchys idol was Cristobal Balenciaga (1895 1972) a great Spanish couturier and colorist. He was strictly modern, very technical and a master of illusion. He invented the threequarter-length sleeve and the standaway collar. He taught fashion design classes, inspiring other designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Andre Courreges, Emanuel Ungaro, Mila Schon and H ubert de Givenchy.He was so innovative, that he designed waistless dresses and tunics in 50s proving to be fashion forward by almost a decade. However, in 1968 he decided to close his business. Balenciaga house was bought by Gucci group and today is run by Nicolas Ghesquiere, one of the most talented designers of today(as praised by Vogue). Here are my favorite looks of the season Mary Quant (1934 today) is a British designer and fashion icon which has become synonymous with the swinging sixties in London. She is credited with the invention of a mini skirt, skinny rib sweater and false lashes.She reinvented the use of PVC material and created the popular Wet Look. She popularized hot pants and eventually received OBE and Hall of Fame awards from British Council for her outstanding contribution to fashion industry. by 70s and 80s she concentrated on ornamentals industry and interior design and her clothing lines became of secondary importance. Today she has about 200 Mary Quant Co lour shops in Japan where her cosmetic products remain popular. Vivienne Westwood (1941 today) is the mother of 70s punk era.Together with Malcolm McLaren she established a brand that specialized in clothing with bondage pants, kilts, chains, leather jackets and T-shirts with provocative imagery. Popularized by McLarens managed band devolve on Pistols the look became a new wave of fashion . It was quickly accepted amongst teenagers and young adults and I think it captured the overall atmosphere of self-expression in 70s. Vivienne did not stop here though, she went on to receive prestigious OBE and DBE awards and opened quite a few labels under her name Golden Label, Anglomania, Red Label and Man.Her house successfully work today and here are my favourite looks from A/W 2012 collection Rei Kawabuko (1942 today) is a Japanese avant-garde designer which managed to enter the international fashion scene with an uproar. In 1983 (together with another designer Japanese designer Yohji Ya mamoto) she presented a new concept in fashion deconstructed silhouette, colourless, distressed fabrics and garments full of clothes. The look was without delay dubbed the Hiroshima chic, boro look, beggar look and identical.Her distinctive point of view shocked and amused the West and that earned her a place in Parisian Chambre Syndicale du Pret-a-Porter. Today she is a head of her own company Comme des Garcons, and one of the most popular brands in the world. Here are my favourite looks from this season Yohji Yamamoto (1943 today) became popular at the same time as Rei Kawabuko. Presenting the unprecedented style concept to Western fashion world with his 1983 cutwork collection he was instantly acknowledged and recognized.His round-backed designs always take a viewer by surprise, his commercially successful designs are sold worldwide and together with Rei Kawabuko Yohji Yamamoto is held responsible for putting Tokyo on the map fashion wise. Wonderful thing is, that despite si milarities in Kawabukos and Yamamotos designs (and their life together in 80s 90s) they both have different aesthetics and distinctive directions. Kawabuko occurs to me to be more conceptual and Yamamoto is way more elegant designer. Here are my favourite looksJohn Galliano (1960 today) is one of the most controversial designers today but nevertheless, genius. In short, he graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design Galliano was awarded the British Designer of the Year in the year 1987, 1994 and 1995. Due to frequent financial troubles he accepted the job offer at Givenchy and in two years time he was transferred to Dior as a creative director of the house. He also has his own house under his name. Achieving that amount of success in a short period of time, he is proven to be genius and of course he has plenty of respectable awards to prove it.His creations are magical, his style is very dramatic and his presentations are always theatrical . Despite his recent c rimes (in 2011 he was dismissed from Dior when make guilty of racial insults in public) Galliano name still stands for unspeakable elegance and innovation, his garments are highly collectible. It is unclear to me what happened to genius after he was dismissed from Dior. fireside of Galliano is working without his original captain under leadership of Bill Gaytten. However his idea of beauty prevails and I think he is the next Chanel. Here are my favourite looks from this seasonAlexander McQueen (1969 2010) was a magnificent designer who left a huge imprint through his short lifetime. He won a great number of awards for his distinctive dramatic point of view, including Commander of the Order of the British Empire, International Designer of the Year 2003 by Council of fashion designers of America and others of similar caliber. Ever since he entered fashion industry he was considered a genius. Fashion editors were left in awe after each new collection, not to mention the infamous VOS S. He is well known for his collaborations with celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Bjork, Kanye West and Katy Perry.I would say his style is eccentric, avant-garde but extremely elegant at the same time. Alexander McQueen was original in every way and extremely technical as well. After unfortunate and untimely death of genius in 2010 Sarah Burton took the helm of Alexander McQueens house and added her own feminine touch to the name. She has also designed a wedding dress for the Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince Williams. Alexander McQueens house successfully runs today and here are few wonderful creations from this year Autumn/Winter collection